I-864 or I-864A?

[Stressed Out 81]

I'm 99.9% educated on which forms to fill out for the affidavit of support, but there's still that .1%, hehe.

My parents are going to be our co-sponsors and we're going to be living with them for a bit when we move over there. My parents file taxes jointly. Does each of them have to fill out a form, or only one? And I'm still kind of unclear as to what the I-864A is for, exactly. Just need some simple answers to clear up this foggy perception of mine. (I hate paperwork!!)

[Villanelle 4,122]

Your husbands filing for AOS. Youre the petitioner. Youre required to send in- an 864 from you as the petitioner (even if you dont qualify). Your husband as the intending immigrant goes on the same 864 as you.

If youre using a co-sponsor, its going to be either the 864 alone from the co-sponsor or the co-sponsors 864 + the 864a from their spouse/other household member. So if both dad and mom work, and dads income alone is not enough to qualify, dad would fill out the 864 and mom would fill out the 864a. If dad does make enough or vice versa, then only one one of them would have to fill out the 864. The co-sponsor is going to be responsible for themselves, their spouse/any members of the their household (as shown on their taxes) and the immigrant.

You would only fill out an 864a if you had someone else in your household (someone on your taxes) who you wanted to use their income in addition to yours to boost your 864. Its very rare. As most adults who are filing for AOS for a new spouse do not have adult children with income they are still claiming, or another adult listed on their taxes to claim.

[Stressed Out 81]

Well, to slightly complicate things, they own a small heating and cooling company together. I don't know how they file their own paychecks and such, all I know is that their taxes are filed jointly.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

It isn't a problem. My grandfather was one of the joint sponsors and he owned his own business. We just attached the Schedule C for it to the I-864A paperwork. No paystubs or anything like that was necessary, just the Schedule C and tax transcripts.

[Stressed Out 81]

Alright I guess there's no harm done in both of them sponsoring anyhow, even if one will suffice.